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Not sure I really am into the spirit of this souvenir challenge. I just see it as something manufactured to get us to do something we already want to do.
Actually I can see a benefit to the promotion. Since mystery caches, earthcaches, letterbox hybrids, and multicaches are worth up to 3x more points than traditionals, it will motivate some of those traditionals-only newbie cachers to spread their wings and step out of their comfort zone to solve a puzzle or find a multi. It also has motivated numerous people to host events during the time period since events are triple points. As for me, I’ve got plans made for several cache outings with others because of the challenge. Sure I would have likely gone out caching with those people anyway, but the focus is a bit different: What non-traditionals should we work on together as well as traditionals so we can hit our goals? One thing is certain – I plan to find at least 35 to 50 caches during that three week period to meet the full challenge, which might not have happened as quickly had it not been for this Planetary Pursuit Challenge. I plan to have fun with it!
We have 0 points, but have cache outings planned for tomorrow and some other days as well. We’ll earn our first planets on the Ice Age Trail tomorrow.
Page 900 – I didn’t miss it!
By the way it is nice to see that the WGA put out a nifty survey, well done!
Not a bad idea. Also the list of winners only goes back to March of 2015 while the list of nominees goes all the way back to 2003!
Actually the winner’s list on the WGA website goes back to 2015, the winners *bookmark list* stored at geocaching.com however shows the WGA COTM winners from 2002-2014. The two lists really need to be merged together so that one doesn’t have to search both lists before nominating a cache that might have already won.
I can’t even picture what a bracket on a sign looks like. There’s a pole, there is a sign, and there are bolts that attach the sign. What bracket?
Surprisingly, I’m not a fan of a POTM competition. But I’d absolutely love to see some type of WGA online photo gallery. I was greatly disappointed when the old WGA website was changed into the current one several years ago, the number one reason being that all of the pictures in the old website’s photo gallery were gone. A photographic history of the WGA from 2002 to 2014, hundreds of pictures lost to the ages. There is not a photo album option with the current WGA website. Boo.
I’ve observed that with any competition for best photo where the general membership or population votes, it usually boils down to who got their friends and acquaintances to vote after a VOTE FOR ME VOTE FOR ME email. I shoot thousands of pictures each year – my gallery at geocaching.com has over 10,000 non-spoilers posted – all posted for the love of the game. If there is a POTM in which people vote, then so be it; I’d still welcome it. But for me, here are my musings as to alternative options:
1. Have the general membership submit photos in an album created for POTM (no more than one or two submittals per month per person), but the voting to be done only by the board of directors. It makes sense for two reasons. First, it’s a heck of a lot easier to tally the votes. Second, it totally eliminates the VOTE FOR ME nonsense that kind of invalidates most online voting competitions.
2. Have available a pathtag for POTM winners (only one ever per winner). Or perhaps better yet have a POTM pathtag for the first 100 (or 200?) POTM submitters (only one ever per submitter). THAT will generate traffic! Just watch. Plus it might generate more interest in subsequent geocoins/pathtags that the WGA mints in the future for other events. Full disclosure: This suggestion reflects my bias toward pathtags; I’m not as much of a fan of cachekindz or extagz. I don’t really think it even would be necessary for the POTM winner to win anything if they get a pathtag for submitting. Just the announcement of winners past and current would do.
3. I don’t think our current website has the ability to host photo albums. If that is indeed the case, it would have to be done through FaceBook or some other site, which not all of the membership has easy access to. I guess the website committee can discuss the logistics. Would hosting it at the WGA site result in increased traffic? Or would it be better through already established sites such as FB where dozens or hundreds would see it seemingly without effort?
4. If possible, bring back the WGA photo album section, whether or not there is a POTM contest. I assume the photo album section of the old website is backed up somewhere (actually I know it is); perhaps we could start with those, if it is even possible.
5. It’s encouraging to see the number of people who have posted a picture at the FB site this past month for picture of the month. If it had been at the WGA website, some of those pictures likely would not have been posted due to less traffic and awareness. Let’s hope the POTM continues, wherever it may be hosted. Ideally, my vision for the future of the WGA social media would be for the WGA to not only maintain their existing website (which anybody can post to but relatively few do so) and their WGA FaceBook PAGE (which only WGA moderators can directly post to but members can reply), but also a WGA FaceBook GROUP page (which any member can start a post, similar to the Wild Bunch FB site or the Geocaching in Wisconsin FB site). If the POTM were to be hosted at the WGA “group,” it could really jumpstart that site.
I was thinking the same thing today, but then I realized that the reason for the 3 month period is probably to make sure that enough people have found the cache, so that it can receive enough ballots, kind of a way to keep it fair.
That’s what I have always assumed too, although I have not actually heard an explanation as to why there is a three month waiting period. I think it’s fine, for the reason you mentioned.
I like the idea of keeping it as is with one series of the month for the whole state and one cache of the month for each of the five sections of the state. The benefits of it are up to six quality caches are highlighted each month, and those six cache owners get to put a nifty graphic on their respective cache pages. Consolidating it into one winner per month doesn’t seem to me to solve the main issue, with that issue being people actually voting for and nominating caches.
Another benefit is that people will hopefully be eligible to actually vote! Since you can only vote for caches that you’ve actually found, to a certain extent if there was only one winner per month, the only people who could consistently vote would be those who are well traveled around Wisconsin. Imagine what it would be like if a cache in the north woods vs. a cache in West Bend were nominated. The north woods cache may have only a handful of finds, while the WB cache may have had hundreds. Therefore the north woods cache only would have a relatively small amount of potential voters, while the WB cache could have dozens or even hundreds of potential voters. If one were going to vote for a potential COTM and the choices were all unfamiliar and outside of their area, they’d potentially move on to something else.
So if we keep it with the same format (5 regional caches + 1 series of the month), how do we promote it and increase voter traffic? The general membership hasn’t been very proactive, so I guess it is going to have to start with the board of directors. If each BOD member would nominate a cache or three every other month, that right there would be a big improvement. I nominate caches almost every month, sometimes in all 5 regions since the whole state is our playground. 🙂 Secondly, giving a shout out to the COTM winners (maybe with pictures) at WGA events would help bring awareness. Thirdly, promoting the COTM on social media can help, and it’s already being done to a certain extent from what I’ve seen in the past year or two.
It’s great that the issue has been brought up here (actually I saw the question posed on FB and followed the link here, nice). I look forward to following the discussion.
By the way Rich, have you looked at GC3GEA0 and GC2VHYN?
Need a little help here.
Does anyone know a geocacher who’s caching name starts with the digit 9?
We are trying to complete the alphanumeric challenge by finding a cache that has an owner’s name starting with 0-9 and A-Z, and we need a 9.
The closer to Appleton, WI the better, but we are just trying to figure out how far we need to travel to get it.
Thanks,
RNS
We got a “9” when we went to Texas. 9Key has hidden hundreds of caches and is vey active, but he’s based in Texas. ROAD TRIP!
Sweet! 🙂
I received a cache (not a geocache) of 20 old newspapers today, some from the 1920s and some from the 1950s. Two were about the death of President Harding and his VP (Coolidge) being sworn in. The others were mostly about major cold war issues, such as Korean war offensives, Russian atomic bomb test detonations, and Soviet plans to infiltrate communists into the American government. Fascinating reading!
Here’s the latest puzzle I created at jigsaw planet. Keep in mind if you do a search there with the keyword “FTP” you’ll see a whole gaggle of puzzles created by WGA threadstealers. https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=31d1987344a4
I can hardly believe Braid Beards Gang did the puzzle in half the time it took me!
Merc I especially appreciated your explanation of geocaching and how it was an extension of your many favorite outdoor activities such as kayaking, fishing, etc. Seeing that makes me want to go geocaching!
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